Falling Again
by Almost Lucy
Summary: The Hogwarts faculty,students,and two well meaning house elves all agree that Severus and Hermione-a violently reluctant couple-belong together.Through all of the absurd matchmaking efforts coming at them from all sides, does love have a chance?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_Dear Severus,_

_I never meant to hurt you. I hope you understand why I cannot be with you. I love James with all my heart. I know he tormented you and I hope you know that I wouldn't tolerate that even today, not even from him. In your own way, I know you loved me. But forget me Severus. I can never be yours and I don't want you to spend your days longing for something that can never be, you will only hurt yourself. I love James and will marry him tomorrow, but I love you too Severus, just not the same way. Your pain is my pain, and I don't want to spend my life knowing that you are in pain. Please grant me this one request, forget me Severus. Move on. Find some girl who will love you and love her in return. _

_This is the last time I will write. Be happy Sev._

_ Lily_

The potions master felt an all too familiar burning behind his eyes. He knew that he only tormented himself with her words, but he couldn't help himself. Desperation for her memory drove him to use anything that would bring even pain to the surface, as long as she was in it. After almost twenty six years, it was still fresh; there was no dullness in the cuts on his heart. They were as deep as the ones that were now scarred from the first time he read the letter.

A light knocking on his chamber door jolted him from his quickly descending depression. He scowled, with no idea of who would be knocking at his door at in the darkest hour of the night. Sharply he stood and made his way over to the door to tear it open in agitation. The face on the other side of the heavy door startled him from making his usual snide or biting remark.

"What do _you_ want?" Snape found himself truly puzzled. Hermione Granger stood before him in her night clothes. Her curly hair, although it was no longer the mane it was in school, flew riotously around her face in complete disarray.

"Well, I see that you're your usual rude self tonight Professor." Hermione glared at her former teacher and current colleague.

"Miss Granger, it is two o'clock in the morning. What do you want?" Snape snapped waspishly.

"I need help with a situation. I am afraid that it is rather awkward for me to handle alone."

"What? _You_ cannot handle something on your own? Something is out of _your_ reach?"

"I need assistance all the time. I just don't ask for _your_ help precisely for this reason. You are rude and insufferable. Now, I need your particular help with a situation in the dungeons." Hermione was growing annoyed and impatient. She had caught wind of a party to be hosted in the dungeons that evening. It was Snape's House and she had no desire to confront a room of drunken teenagers by herself, as strong as her magic might be.

"Well then, if you've finally deigned to let me help you, what is the problem?" Hermione growled. She had never quite gotten over her school day dislike of the potions professor.

"There is a party tonight in the dungeons. It is not all a Slytherin problem, however, I do not know my way around down there and I have no wish to try and handle a group of drunken teenagers by myself. You are intimidating," her eyes narrowed at the sudden light in his eyes, "to _students_, and I am asking for your assistance." Hermione huffed out a loud breath after her speech and glared at the man before her even harder. She sincerely hoped that he would help her. He truly was one of the best at situations such as the one she was facing, as much as she hated to admit it.

"Where did you hear of this Miss Granger?"

Hermione flushed with annoyance and the beginnings of anger. She heard doubt in the professor's voice and wondered if he thought she had faulty information. From the look on his face, that was exactly what he was thinking.

"I overheard some students from Slytherin and a different group of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. I think the information is accurate. It was very elaborate if a hoax and I already checked the Room of Requirement, it opened for me with no problem, so it was definitely empty." Hermione dared the potions master with her eyes to doubt her further. He seemed to think better of it and entered the hallway.

Snape never checked to see if Hermione followed. He led the way quickly with long strides that sent his robes billowing. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered if they were enchanted to do so. Professor Snape turned down complicated hallways and Hermione, although she had a good sense of direction, was soon lost.

The sounds of music and laughter reached the professors' ears before they saw the revelry. At least a hundred students milled around the large room. The Weird Sisters blared over the noise of conversation. Some couples were dancing, but most were talking in large groups of loud, laughing friends. At first, none of the students saw the two professors. They were too busy having fun to see that the prohibited fun was about to be ended.

Snape held his wand to his throat to elevate the volume of his voice. Hermione was reminded of the Quidditch World Cup the summer before her fourth year at Hogwarts. The minister had amplified his voice the same way. The spell was very useful in making oneself heard, and Snape was definitely heard.

"Students, return to your houses at once. You will all receive detention and ten points will be taken from each student present. File past and Professor Granger and I will check to see who is here. Do not try to run away, your life would become very miserable."

Hermione frowned when Snape threatened the students. However it worked, as she knew having him along would. The students obediently filed past and Hermione and Snape took account of the offending kids. She was disappointed to see several of her own house present. They lowered their heads in shame as they passed her, not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes. Snape's students avoided his eyes as well, all though less out of shame at disappointing then fear of what might be done to them. Their house leader was notoriously hard, even with his own students in some events. They had heard that before the war, he had favored his students more, but only some of the oldest students remembered those days.

"Thank you, professor." Hermione turned to Snape after the last of the students had returned to their dorms. Snape sneered at her.

"Perhaps you should learn to handle such situations on your own Miss Granger." Snape left without another glance her direction. Hermione glared at his back. She truly hated his rude demeanor. Even though they were now colleagues, he now treated her like an inferior student. Truth be known, she was a little hurt by his refusal to see that she was an intelligent teacher and very good at what she did.

Teaching transfiguration was not easy and she thought that she had filled Professor McGonagall's shoes rather well. The old professor still checked in every so often just to make sure her former student was doing okay. Hermione didn't mind the visits; in fact she looked forward to them. They had grown from a young teacher asking questions to two equals discussing theories and just enjoying each other's company.

Hermione stood glaring at the place Snape disappeared for several minutes. Finally, she realized she was tired and started for bed. Only a minute later, when she had to turn a corner, she realized that she had no idea where she was. Stopping, she looked around, hoping for a familiar decoration on the walls to guide her. Everything was unfamiliar. On the way down, she had been too absorbed in being angry with Snape to register her surroundings. Now, the dark walls were closing in on her and she had no way to get out.

Hermione stood and tried to think her way out of the maze that was the dungeons. She had never spent any time down that low except to attend Potions. Now, she had no idea of the layout and could think of no way to get help. Professor Snape was long gone and probably had no chance of hearing her if she cried for help. Although, she wasn't sure he would come even if he did hear her. She ruled yelling out of the question. If she had the Marauder's Map, she may have been able to find her way, but Harry had it tucked safely somewhere in his house. Hermione was truly stumped.

After almost ten minutes of thought, Hermione lit on an idea that should have been thought of sooner. She frowned, sternly chastising herself, before calling for the help she knew would come.

"Gretty, can you come help me please?" A pop echoed down the halls as Gretty popped into the corridor. She walked over to Hermione, a question large in her eyes. "Can you help me back to my rooms? I'm completely lost down here."

"Yes Mistress Granger. Gretty show you the way." With that, Gretty set off down the hallway at a quick pace rivaling that of Snape's on the way there. Hermione had to hurry once again to keep up.

Once she was in front of her rooms, Hermione thanked the house elf and retired for the night with a sigh. It was late and she had to be up early for classes. Hermione loved her job, but the long hours were almost too long sometimes for her. Although, she thought, she could probably do less reading and more resting, but she dismissed the idea as soon as it entered her head. Cutting back on reading was out of the question.

Early the next morning, Hermione climbed from her bed, ready to start another day. She was tired, but had a feeling some of her students would be feeling a bit worse than her. Why they would chooses a school night was beyond her. In school she would never have done such a thing, but even if she had, she would have planned it for a weekend. _Fred and George's influence has worn off._ Hermione smiled at the idea. The students that attended now would never have gone to school with the devious twins, something Hermione had been known to give thanks for occasionally.

A knock sounded on her door. She wondered who could possibly be knocking on her door. Most people would already be in the Great Hall for breakfast. Frowning, she made her way to the door and pulled it open. The person on the other side startled her to full awareness.

"Miss Granger. I came to make sure you made it up from the dungeons last night." Hermione glared at him. She thought that he could have shown her the way, or at least check on her the night before.

"I'm fine." She ground the words out irritably.

"I'm glad you were able to navigate the corridors." He sounded anything but glad. Hermione knew that she would never tell him she had help from a house elf.

"Thank you for your concern." He sneered at her sarcasm and left, his robes billowing as always.

Hermione shut her chamber door. Snape was as infuriating as always. The young professor rubbed her temples ruefully. Severus never failed to give her a headache whenever she encountered him before breakfast and this morning was no exception.

Severus stalked into the Great Hall. His encounter with Miss Granger had, as always, set him on edge. He gritted his teeth as he surveyed the students. Another day of trying to teach the dunderheads, oh joy. Severus scowled and took his seat, his frown deepened when he looked to his left at the empty chair. Soon, SHE would enter to eat and his day would get worse, though he did brighten at the thought of being able to annoy her as he so obviously had earlier at her chamber door. Severus almost smiled at the thought, but his smile turned to a grimace when she flounced in and took her seat. The scowl that mirrored his own brought a smirk to his face and he enjoyed the rest of his breakfast immensely.

"Severus?"

Snape turned at the sound of the headmaster's voice. He held no love for the man, but at least the current headmaster held none of Albus' conniving thoughts. He waited for Trafalgar Beauchamp to catch up.

"I noticed that Professor Granger was a bit vexed at breakfast this morning." Severus waited for the man to continue. "Do you know what would have rattled her so early in the morning?"

"No, I'm sure I don't."

"Curious. Filius was quite sure he had seen you at her chamber door this morning. Was she not out of sorts then?"

"No. I was merely asking after her, making sure she was all right after last night's events."

"What happened last night?"

"The party we broke up." Severus scowled, he expected the head master to remember these sorts of things.

"Oh, I know about that. I was just wondering why you would be asking after her. Didn't you escort her back to her rooms after all the students were gone?"

"No. Miss Granger is a perfectly capable adult. I left while she was ruminating in the dungeons. She made it back with no difficulty."

"Really Severus, you didn't escort her? It wouldn't hurt to be friendly to her you know. A little companionship might do you some good."

Severus' opinion on Beauchamp's meddlesomeness in comparison to Dumbledore's was dimming. Albus had often mentioned that Severus needed companionship in his life. Severus always thought that Albus was hinting toward a romantic liaison. Severus thought back to a memory he didn't like to recall.

"_After all this time?"_

"_Always."_

Severus shuddered. Dumbledore's designs on his personal life had dropped off immensely after that night. He dearly hoped that Trafalgar would not reopen the subject.

"I have a class, if you don't mind…" Severus waited for the headmaster's permission before leaving the alcove they had been in and billowing his way to his dungeon classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: This chapter is really close on the heels of the first one.  I wish I could promise that all of my chapters will get out this fast, but sadly I can't.  So, I hope you enjoy this one, and look for the third in the next couple of weeks.)

Chapter Two

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

Hermione turned to see Trafalgar hurrying after her. It was the last Hogsmeade visit before the Christmas holidays and she was to accompany the students to the village. She wasn't really looking forward to it due to a slight cold she was acquiring.

"Would you mind terribly switching duties with me? I know how you love an opportunity to visit the book shop, but Filius needs help decorating and I must admit that I have no talents in that particular field. I helped last year and Filius ended up just taking everything I put up down and doing it himself."

"Of course I don't mind Headmaster."

"Thank you Hermione. That's wonderful." Trafalgar beamed.

"No, I really must thank you Trafalgar. I'm actually feeling a bit under the weather and the castle is rather a better place to spend the day if one is getting a cold." Hermione smiled.

"Oh, I do hope you feel better."

"Thank you Headmaster." Hermione smiled again and watched as the older man, who reminded her of Father Christmas in his red robes, scurried after the students.

Hermione turned to trek back up to the castle with a smile gracing her lips. The headmaster was a dear man, if a bit eccentric. She wondered if it was a prerequisite to the job, but decided against it when she thought of Phineas Black – a decidedly uneccentric and unpersonable man.

Trafalgar Beauchamp had grown up in France – the irony of his name was not lost on Hermione- and was educated at Beauxbatons. He was the first headmaster that was not an alumnus of the school. When Hermione learned that he was from Beauxbatons she, and the rest of Hogwarts, had expected a man that was self absorbed and snobbish. No one had predicted that their new headmaster would remind anyone of Father Christmas or a caring grandfather. He ruled the students with a soft but firm hand and was loved by all the houses – well, he was at least liked by the Slytherins, if a bit grudgingly. It was hard to hate a man that called off classes for a day and organized a school wide snowball fight. Hermione saw the wisdom of the governor's decision to bring in a man who could not be accused of any imaginings of house favoritism since he had never resided in one of the four rivals.

"Hello Hermione." Filius Flitwick, the very old Charms professor, smiled gaily down at his young colleague from his place floating in front of a wall in the entrance hall. He was waving his wand merrily as garland swooped along the stone.

"Hello Filius. I've switched with Trafalgar, so I'm here to help."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione giggled at the expression of relief on her old professor's face. "Why don't you help Severus with the tree in the Great Hall?"

Hermione's mood dimmed when she thought of the snarky old bat. Filius smiled again, and then turned back to the wall before him. Hermione looked at him suspiciously. He had been trying to get her and Severus to stop bickering since she started a little over four years previous. Her suspicious look deepened when she thought of the dear headmaster, whom she suspected of trying to get her and Severus together.

_Really, he was my professor. That would just be… unthinkable. Besides, he's twenty years my senior and in a perpetually bad mood. _Hermione frowned once more before arranging her features into what she hoped was a more agreeable expression, but what she feared just made her look constipated.

"Hello Severus." Hermione tried to sound cheery.

"Ah, Miss Granger, I suppose I'm stuck with you for the day's activities?"

"No Severus." He looked up, surprised. "It is _I_ that is stuck with _you_." Hermione smirked in her best Malfoy imitation and enjoyed the silent glare Snape sent her way.

Hermione almost enjoyed her time decorating with Severus. He hated her holiday cheer, which she turned up a notch or six for his benefit. He muttered under his breath and managed only a few comments that really bothered her while she got off a good dozen that darkened his mood and lifted hers.

"Well, the tree is beautiful. I'm going to ask Filius what he needs help with next, you go practice your 'bah hum bugs'. Hermione smiled sweetly at Severus' black look and then tripped lightly out of the Hall and up the stairs to where Filius was working on staircases.

"What would you like me to work on next Filius?"

"Oh, Hermione dear, are you two done already?"

"Yes, and the tree is beautiful. I managed to prevent Severus from turning the ornaments black like last year and it turned out nicely."

Hermione grinned, proud of her handiwork. The tree had been beautiful the year before as well after she, Filius and Trafalgar had turned the ornaments back to their holiday hues from the black Severus had turned them to after an argument with her about holiday cheer among the students and how he was not to crush their merry celebrations. Of course, that argument had just been the proverbial straw for Severus- the day before she had given him a piece of her mind for deducting house points from students who were singing Christmas carols in the corridors. He claimed they gave him a headache, Hermione told him to stay in his bat cave and not venture into the rest of the castle if he was going to force his black moods on the rest of the population. Trafalgar had evacuated the students before coming back to the Great Hall where he had broken them up before they came to blows. They were both thankful no students were present to witness the yelling part of their rather heated disagreement.

"There you are Severus." Filius smiled widely. Hermione's smile dimmed. "You can help Hermione with the decorating in the… astronomy tower!" Filius' smile grew even wider.

"The astronomy tower?" Snape sounded skeptical. "We've never decorated there."

"Well, it's not right then is it?" The little old man was almost as manipulative as Dumbledore. Hermione saw Severus scowl. She knew that he was probably thinking along the same lines as she was, though probably not as fondly.

"I haven't any usual decorations for the tower, so do as you please."

Hermione and Severus eyed each other distastefully, but set out to their mutual torture session. Snape led the way up the staircase. Just before they disappeared into a corridor two floors farther along, they heard Professor Flitwick calling.

"Don't forget to add a sprig of mistletoe! You know how the students love to utilize the tower!"

Hermione groaned, Severus muttered darkly. She had _no_ intention of encouraging students in the use of the remote tower to clandestine trysts in the dead of night. Though how romantic the meetings would be was questionable with a bunch of blushing teenagers.

Hermione was breathing heavily by the time they reached the tower. _I've really got to get in shape._ Snape shot her a superior look, he looked like he had been strolling in Hyde Park rather than climbing seven stories and then up a tower. She glared at him. _He probably gets a lot of exercise flying around the bat cave._ Hermione giggled at the thought of a bat with Snape's head flying laps around the dungeons. Severus shot her a look that clearly meant she'd lost her mind. She just giggled again.

Severus looked up the sky. _Why me? Was I really so awful in life to deserve this?_ Severus' frown deepened as he realized that, yes, he was. Hermione's pervasive good mood was not helping him at all. He wanted to hang her from the tower with a strand of the garish garland she had conjured. Severus smiled, that thought had merit.

"Severus, really, come help me." Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"You seem to be managing quite nicely Miss Granger, why would you need my assistance?" Severus was bored.

"Quit being an arse and come help me."

Severus grumbled about being called an arse, but came to help as ordered. He held the garland in place while she started securing it from the other end. Severus didn't like being ordered around by the bossy little chit, so when she turned to survey the remaining wall, he charmed the festive decorations black. It was childish, but her reaction when she turned around was well worth it.

"Severus Snape! How dare you! I worked hard on that for our students. They deserve a wonderful Christmas and you are intent on ruining that for them!"

"I hardly ruined Christmas Miss Granger."

"You, you… oh! You're an insufferable arse!"

Severus frowned. That was the second time that day she had called him an arse and he didn't like it. He remembered the year before when they had been arguing in the Great Hall over lunch. He remembered her storming in, angry about something he'd taken points away for. She had taken her seat and proceeded to dress him down, in an awful excuse for a whisper, for getting headaches from the awful racket she claimed was singing. Honestly, he'd thought someone was being put in thumbscrews. Apparently they had been expressing holiday cheer. How was he to know the difference between "Silent Night" and "slay me now"? She always had been one to overreact, as had their esteemed headmaster, who had evacuated the students just because they were about to start a shouting match, which they had, but it seemed an awful excuse for evacuation. They had never reached for their wands. Well, they hadn't actually _used_ them.

Severus was jolted out of his ruminations by the sound of the door slamming behind his illustrious colleague. He smiled. It seemed he had gotten to her. Severus was met by students returning from their day in town and still made it all the way to his seat for the beginning of dinner without deducting one house point- a testament of the good mood he was in after putting the Transfiguration professor in a bad mood.

Hermione, who was already sitting in her seat next to his, left in a huff when he smirked at her. Trafalgar noticed and leaned over Professor Vector to question him.

"Severus, what has Hermione in a bad mood?" Severus hid his smirk and looked at the headmaster innocently.

"Bad soup?" He slurped and resumed his meal in high spirits.

Hermione was in a bad mood. She slammed her chamber door and cast a silencing charm before letting a loose a shriek. The greasy git got under her skin so easily and it irritated her to no end. His childishness behind her back infuriated her all the more because it bothered her so much.

When she first started teaching at the young age of twenty- the youngest ever- she had thought to befriend all of her colleagues, even Severus. That hope had been dashed about five minutes after she entered the castle the week before school. Severus walked around the corner, scowled and turned to the governor escorting her.

_"You hired a _child_? I thought the governors had better sense than that."_

He had disappeared before either of them could formulate a response. She had been seething. The school governor, Thaddeus Helpkop, had assured her that she was perfectly qualified and had been recommended by Minerva specifically. Though her nerves were soothed somewhat, the scathing way she was rejected out of hand by her former professor had stung, and still did.

"I will not allow him to make me feel inferior."

_"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."_ Her father's voice, quoting the wife of an American president, drifted through her thoughts. As a child she was ridiculed for her bushy hair and buck teeth. She remembered coming home in tears the year before her first year at Hogwarts and curling up in her father's lap. Her father held her and told her she was beautiful where it counted – in her heart.

Hermione sighed and turned to rest her back against her chamber door. Suddenly, all of her anger was gone, replaced with the insecurities of a young woman. No matter how infuriating, Severus Snape was one of the most intelligent and gifted men of her acquaintance, and she respected him. His acknowledgement of her hard work and achievements would validate everything she had worked for. Hermione knew it was silly to hinge her self confidence on a man that had never once complimented her in the decade and a half she had known him, but she couldn't help it, it just was.


End file.
